Innocent Arms
by willow233
Summary: Whammy House 1999. Mello, Matt, and Near watch as a new orphan arrives. But, it seems that she wants nothing to do with the world. So, what is a young boy to do when he falls for such a secretive girl?
1. Lust

**YAY!!! It's my second fan fic!!! This is the story of Constance, Near, Mello, and Matt before 'Love from a Broken Soul'. This fic will still make sense if you haven't read the other. :3**

Whammy House September 19, 1999:

A cool wind swept over the soccer field where a few children played. They giggled and kicked around a ball until they saw someone running toward them.

"Hey guys!" The boy yelled.

"Hi Mello!" The children called out. Mello (age 10) ran up to the kids with an exited look in his eyes, his blonde hair stuck to his sweaty face.

"Someone just arrived!" He motioned towards the large, old style orphanage behind him. "Let's go see her!"

The group of children ran off the field and into the building. They hurdled down the hall while trying to avoid hitting the other children. They slowed down when they saw a young boy peeking into Roger's office.

"Matt, is she in there?" Mello called to his friend. Matt (age 9) looked up and nodded.

"She just arrived!" The group of children gathered around Matt and looked inside the room.

They saw Roger standing next Watari. Hidden behind the two was the tall, slender, legendary detective L. L and Watari would always come back to Whammy House to greet the new arrivals.

"Where is she?" Mello asked, trying to find the orphan.

"She's talking to L. She's behind Roger." Matt pointed. Sure enough, when Mello looked, he saw the shape of a young girl. But, before he could see her face, he heard a very unwelcome voice behind him.

"School is starting in five minutes." The children turned around and saw the face of one of their teachers. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. "Go to your classrooms."

The children sighed and fanned out to their classrooms. Mello and Matt walked side by side down the hall.

"Did you see her?" Mello asked.

"No. All I know is that she's in our class."

At Whammy House, the children are put in classes based on their skills, not their age. That's why, when Mello and Matt walked into their classroom, they saw the face of Near. Near (age 8) was much younger than the rest of the children, but he was one of the most brilliant minds in the orphanage. The three boys were the top students in the orphanage and, for obvious reasons, were in the top class. The fact that a new orphan was automatically being put in that class was quite impressive.

"Class has started." Said the teacher. "Everyone in their seats."

All the children sat down and looked at the teacher. "Today is a very special day. Today, we are receiving a new student. I want you to make her feel welcome." The children giggled in delight and excitement. "Come on in sweetie."

The door to the classroom opened and in walked the girl from Roger's office. She had on a short, black skirt and a striped red and black tee-shirt. Her wavy, black hair came down to the small of her back, icy blue eyes shown from under her long bangs, and her ivory skin was as white as cotton.

"This is Constance. Why don't you go sit over there?" The teacher pointed at an empty desk in the back of the room. Constance (age 9) made her way to the back of the classroom. She sat down while trying to escape the stares of the other children. "Alright children," The teacher said, calling the attention of the other orphans. "Back to the lessen."

The class went by quickly and soon all the children were let out for the day. Constance walked down the hall quietly, hoping not to catch the attention of any children. Unfortunately, her plan failed.

"Hey!" Mello called from behind the girl. She turned and saw the blonde running towards her with his friend the red head with goggles. They soon caught up with her and began to strike up a conversation. "Hi, I'm Mello and this is my friend Matt."

"Sup!" Matt said happily.

Constance looked them over nervously. "Hello." Her voice was small.

"So," Mello said. He walked on one side of her while Matt walked on the other side. "What section of the orphanage do you live on?"

She pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket and read the top. "Section B."

"Really?" Matt said this time. "We live in that section!" He pointed to Mello and himself.

Constance nodded. She really didn't get along with people. In fact, she was said to be afraid of people. She walked nervously down the hall, her arms pulled close to her sides.

"A bunch of us are going out to play," Mello said with a large grin on his face. "You wanna come?"

"I would, but I have to go talk to Mr. Roger." Constance decided that was her best way to escape the two hyper boys.

"Oh, Ok." Mello said, a bit sad.

"Will you play with us tomorrow?" Matt asked.

"Well…"

"Alright!" Mello interrupted. "We'll come get you tomorrow!" The two boys ran off before she could get another word in. Constance stuffed her hands in the pockets of her skirt and she walked down the hall. She knew she'd have to deal with those boys later, but her biggest concern was running into even more people. If she went to her room, someone would be there trying to strike up a conversation. She decided to go find a quiet room were no one would bother her.

As she walked down the hall, she read the plaques out side each door. She stopped when she found one that read "Section B Common room". It was a large room with a stained glass window in the back. There were bookshelves all over the place, but it seemed devoid of life. She looked around and saw no one. She walked into the room and grabbed the first book she saw, and then sat on the bench in front of the window. Her fingers caressed the front cover.

"Judging from your appearance, that book is much too difficult for you."

Constance jumped at the sound of the voice. She looked up and saw a small boy she recognized from class. She looked him over and swallowed hard. In all the years she had been alive, the one thing she learned about people is that, if you put on a brave face, they won't take advantage of you.

"I'm sorry, but I don't seem to know your name." She kept her voice steady as she realized the albino was putting together a puzzle.

"My name is Near, and your name is Constance." Near pushed a piece into place.

Constance was now standing. She held the book in one hand, while the other was resting in her pocket.

"What are you hiding?" Near continued his puzzle.

"What?"

"You're wearing make-up on your arms and legs. What are you hiding behind it?"

Constance looked at him in shock. No one had said anything all day. She looked down at her creamy arms and legs. "You don't care what its hiding. You're just trying to be polite and start a conversation. But, that's not a topic to be discussed when you first meet someone. Besides, Near, I prefer to keep to myself."

Near looked up. That response was definitely not what he expected. "I'm sorry if I offended you, but I was genuinely curious." Near returned to his puzzle.

She decided he wasn't being sarcastic. Shyly, she took a few steps towards the boy. _Courage_, she thought. She sat next to the boy and placed a piece of the puzzle. He glanced over at her, but said nothing. They continued on like that for what felt like hours, placing one piece after another. Before they had realized, the sun was setting and the last of the children were making their way to their rooms.

"You should go back to your room now." Near said, looking at the now complete puzzle. Constance stood and looked down at the young boy.

"Alright." She walked to the door then heard one last thing from Near.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow." She walked down the hall and up a few stair cases until she reached her room. She walked in, closed and locked the door, and smiled.


	2. Gluttony

**Alright, so I just found out that Yagami backwards is I'm a gay (You'd think I'd notice sooner). So I told one of my best friends and we were laughing like madmen. Just thought I'd share. **

**PS: Constance's memories are in Italics. **

Constance looked around her small bedroom. The only furniture was a small bed and dresser. There was also door leading into a bathroom. The only other things in the white room were her personal belongings. A suitcase, a scruffy teddy bear, a few containers of make-up, and a few other items.

"Hello Lucifer. How was your day?" Constance smiled at the misshapen teddy bear that was sitting on her bed. "I had a wonderful day. I talked to some people without doing anything bad." She walked into the bathroom and wet a towel. She rubbed the damp cloth on her arms and legs. The make-up she wore began to smear off. "Mommy and Daddy said I had a disorder, but I don't. I didn't get mad at all today." She placed the towel on the counter and looked down at her limbs. Numerous scars ran across her wrists and upper thighs. She examined the new ones as she walked back into the bedroom. "If I act like I'm afraid, no one will do anything mean. Then, I won't get mad."

Constance walked over to the widow on the far wall. She cracked it open so the cool breeze could caress her damaged skin. She sat on the bed and took off her shoes and socks. After adjusting the bear next to her, she removed her shirt and skirt, leaving her in a black undershirt and boy short underwear. She smiled contently at the cool air then reached under her bed. She pulled her suitcase out from under her bed and opened the smallest section. After searching for a moment, she found what she was looking for.

A small, silver razor rested in her hand. It reflected the little light in the room, giving it an eerie glow. She looked it over and placed the edge against the left side of her wrist. In a slow and steady movement, she glided the razor across her skin, leaving a line of warm, crimson fluid. She threw her head back, her eyes wild with pain and excitement. She lifted the razor from the wound and placed it higher on her wrist. She dragged it over and over until her entire wrist was coated in blood. Half lidded eyes rested on the fluid. She smiled at her acts of masochism. She lifted her bloody wrist to her mouth and licked the fluid until the deep cuts were visible.

"Today was a good day Lucifer." She picked up the bear and hugged it to her chest. After cleaning the razor and placing in back in the suitcase, she flipped the light switch off and lied down in the small bed. Wrist bleeding and demonic bear snuggled to her chest, she gently fell to sleep.

The next morning came much too soon. The light filtered in through the open window and the loud beeping of her alarm clock made her head spin. She turned off the alarm and sat up. Constance looked down at her wrist. It had scabbed over, leaving a very gruesome and sick looking mess on her pale skin. She looked down at her bear. It was sticky with blood, but, he was almost always like that.

She swung her legs over the side of her bed and walked to the bathroom. She removed the remainder of her clothes and stepped into the shower. The steam felt amazing, but the water burned her swollen wrist. Afterwards, she dressed and made her bed, placing red stained Lucifer in the center. She glanced at the clock. 7:20. School started at 8:30. She walked into the bathroom at took out the make-up. After covering the new wound and old scars with the white substance, she walked out of her room and down towards the cafeteria.

As she walked, she noticed a lot of younger children running around. Their energy radiating off of their small bodies. She remembered a time when she was younger, running in the backyard of her parents house.

_She grew tired as the sun was setting and retreated back inside. Constance could hear her parents talking._

"_What are we going to do?" Her worried mother asked from behind a closed door. "She sick."_

"_Dissocial personality disorder__ is not a disease." Her father tried to reassure her mother._

"_It doesn't matter. She's a masochistic 9 year old. She has to be insane."_

"We can't let her near anyone else. We'll keep her here, and no one will ever have to know."

Constance snapped back into reality. She shook off the nasty memory and proceeded down the hall. Soon, she arrived at the cafeteria; all she saw was a mad mess of people trying to scavenge what ever they could. She stepped into the crowd, hands pulled in her pockets, and walked towards the food. Everyone was going to what ever freshly baked food was present at the time. As they ran towards the hot food, she managed to steel a few slices of bread. She took her breakfast and found an empty table. After a moment of getting used to the chaos, she sighed contently. She stared out one of the windows as she placed small pieces of bread in he mouth. Unfortunately, her solitude was soon destroyed.

"Hi Constance!" She turned to see the infamous Mello and Matt sauntering towards her. This morning, though, she felt quite calm and at peace, so she made no objection when the two boys sat down next to her. "How was your night?"

Constance smiled at the memory of the crimson fluid that her body supplied. "It was fine." The two boys looked at her in surprise. Was this a completely new girl from the one they met yesterday? No, it was the same girl.

"That's good." Mello finely said. He bit of a piece of his chocolate bar.

"We have P.E. today, right?" Matt asked after shoving as much pancake as humanly possible in his mouth.

"Yeah, it's Friday."

Constance furrowed her brow. She wasn't a fan of any physical or strenuous activity, so the fact that P.E. was the day after she arrived was just plain bad luck. Constance stood after finishing her bread and left the table. She could feel the surprised glances of Matt and Mello as she walked, but she didn't care. Just before she left the room, she caught a familiar looking body in the corner of her eye. She turned just enough to see Near, one leg pulled to his chest and finger twisting his white hair. He glanced up for a moment and saw her leaving the room.

Constance walked down the hall to her classroom and sat down in her chair. The room was empty at the moment, so she looked out the window. As she did, her mind wandered back to an unpleasant memory.

"_We can't let her near anyone else. We'll keep her here, and no one will ever have to know." _

_Constance looked angrily at the closed door. She could just imagine her parents behind the door. Her mother, bursting out into tears, and her father, holding the crying woman in his arms._

_Constance stormed up the steps of her house. She ran to her room. She grabbed the razor from under her bed, rapped it in a cloth, and shoved it in her pocket. After grabbing her one-eyed teddy bear, she walked down the stairs and looked one last time at the door. A low growl formed in the back of her throat. "I hate you." She stormed out the door. "I hope you die." With that, she ran full speed away from her house. She didn't know where she was going, she just needed to get away from those fools she called 'parents'. _

_It was dark out side, and after about half an hour, she collapsed. Her breathing was fast and loud. From what she could see, she was in a park. She crawled over the swings and sat her self in one, placing her beloved bear in the one beside her. After making sure no one was around, she pulled out her razor and began tearing at the skin of her wrists. Blood streamed down from her ivory skin to the cold concrete below. Her eyes poured tears, more from hearing her parent's words than from the actual wounds. Her body shook. She had never cut so deep before. The cold wind chilled her body and her eyes glowed with masochistic glory. She dropped the razor and turned to grab Lucifer, but, instead of seeing her malformed bear, she met the gaze of a strange man. _

"Class is starting." Constance jumped at the sudden noise. All the other children were in their seats and looking at the teacher. She looked up front and passed the class with a blank expression.


	3. Wrath

**Have you ever noticed that Near CAN'T smile without looking like an evil scarecrow? Well, that's my opinion at least. :3**

The class passed painstakingly slow. After about an hour or so, the teacher announced that it was time for P.E. Constance sighed. She didn't like any physical activity but, when she was in the mood, she was good.

She stood and walked to the girl's changing room in the gym. The female uniform consisted of a plain, white shirt and navy blue short shorts. As she dressed, she felt the looks of many of the other girls. Her thin frame was almost anorexic and her pale skin rivaled Nears. After dressing, she and the other girls made their way to the field where they were told to run for the class.

Constance ran behind the other girls. For one thing, she didn't like them. But, the main reason for her lack of enthusiasm was this strange feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to run, but she forced herself to jog around the field. As she ran, she stared at the rainbow of flowers on the ground. She fell into a trance and began to recall more of her past.

_Constance stared wide eyed at the man sitting on the swing next to her. The man had ivory skin and wild black hair. His red eyes were surrounded by black circles and he wore a long sleeved white shirt and blue jeans. _

"_I couldn't help but notice you over here. May I ask what a young girl like yourself is doing out at this late hour?"_

_Constance knew she was in a bad situation. She couldn't run. She had lost too much blood and this man would have no trouble grabbing her. Plus, there was no one around to hear her if she yelled. "I ran away from home…"_

"_Really? Well, why would you do that?" The man bent himself over and picked up the bloody razor from the floor. Constance hadn't realized it, but the man was holding her beloved bear. She eyed him, but made no movement._

"_My parents are ashamed of me. Why should I stay if they don't want me?"_

"_Good point. Mind if I use this?" He gestured at the piece of sharpened metal in his hand. Constance gave a wary nod and watched as the man placed the razor the side of his wrist. Slowly and gracefully, he sliced the skin. "May I ask for your name?" _

"_Catherine."_

"_May I offer a suggestion? You should use a fake name. It's a lot safer when you're talking to strangers." _

_He had a point. "Well, then… My name is….. umm….." She placed a finger to her lips as she thought._

"_What about 'Constance'? I really do like that name."_

"_Alright. My name is Constance. What's yours?" _

"_Well, I'm known as Beyond Birthday to some. But, I'll let you call me something else. What's the name of your teddy bear?" He finished cutting his wrist and handed the razor and the bear to Constance, who now felt comfortable around him._

"_His name is Lucifer." _

"_Well then, what about calling me Lucifer?"_

"_Ok Lucifer… Can I ask you something?"_

"_Anything."_

"_Is it bad that I want my parents dead?"_

_There was a long pause. "Not at all. When my parents died, felt nothing at all. If anything, I felt relief… What if I told you there was a way to 'dispose' of your parents?" _

"…_Really? How!?" Constance stood and looked at the man excitedly._

"_Just go home in an hour and you'll never have to worry about them again."_

"_You know where I live?"_

"… _It doesn't matter." He stood and ruffled the young girl's hair. It was funny; the two of them looked almost identical. Besides the age and sex, they could have been twins. Red eyes, black, wild hair, ghostly pale skin. "I'll see you soon Connie." And with that, BB disappeared into the darkness._

Constance heard a whistle and hurried back into the gym locker room. She changed and headed back to the school room. As she walked, she noticed a small, pale body walking ahead of her. It was Near.

She looked him over. This boy was smart. So were Mello and Matt. It would be interesting seeing who would come out on top.

They all entered their designated classrooms and continued on with the lessen. Constance couldn't concentrate. Her memories still fresh in her mind.

_The young girl sat there for an hour, as she was told to do. After the 60 minutes had passed, she slowly walked home. There was a strange smell in the air. By the time she made it home, she realized what it was._

_Smoke filled the night time sky as the violent flames engulfed her house. The fire trucks were parked around the building and the fire fighters were spraying water on the flames._

_Constance walked over to one of the ambulances and peeked in. She saw the charred body of her mother surrounded by some doctors. _

"_Is my father dead as well?" She asked. All the doctors looked at her._

"_A-Are you their daughter?" One asked._

"_Would I be calling him father if I wasn't?" The doctors looked shocked. "Well? Is he dead?"_

"_I'm afraid he is."_

"…" _She wasn't sad, she just stared. "So, what happens to me now?"_

"_Don't worry about that." Constance turned around and saw an older man behind her. "We got a call telling us about what happened. My name is Watari and I will be taking you to your new home."_

"Alright children. School is out for the day." The teacher's voice snapped her back into reality.

Constance stood and swiftly made her way back to her room. She rushed in and slammed the door closed. She was in a fowl mood now.

Constance went into the bathroom and scrubbed the pasty make-up off her wrists and upper thighs.

"So that's what your hiding." She spun around and saw Near standing behind her, Lucifer cradled in his arms.


End file.
